WYNDMOOR - The St. Joseph's Prep Hawks defeated their archrival the La Salle Explorers convincingly on Saturday. Behind the stellar play of the Prep's offense, the Hawks were able to power past their opponents 49-24.
St. Joe’s started the game off strong, leading 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and extending their lead to 28-7 at halftime. However, the Explorers fought their way back into the game by scoring 17 unanswered points in the third, making the score 28-24 St. Joe’s. From that point on, the Hawks took back the momentum and finished the game on a 21-0 run.
The premier player on the offensive side of the ball for the Hawks was senior running back Benny Walls. Walls performed excellently receiving the ball, collecting over 100 receiving yards and two long touchdowns on screen passes. On these two plays, Walls showcased his excellent speed in the open field, just barely beating out the La Salle secondary to score.
Other standout players included senior quarterback Kevin Shaw, who connected with Hawks' sophomore Darryle Simmons and Walls for three passing touchdowns.
Hawks Celebrate After Long TD Pass From Seniors Kevin Shaw To Benny Walls
Sophomore Terrence Greene returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Prep senior Joe Dumond ran for a touchdown as a fullback and caught a pass completing a two point conversion attempt.
On defense, several players emerged as standout players. Safety senior Zac Goss had an excellent game; on top of making several tackles, he recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass in the first quarter.
Junior linebacker James Johnson also made a large impact on the game. Johnson made several tackles for losses, and came away with the game-sealing interception off of La Salle's QB Chris Ferguson in the fourth quarter.
Hawks and Explorers Line Up For One Of The First Plays Of The Game
This victory for St. Joe’s continues their streak of success against the Explorers. They have not lost to La Salle since the 2012 Philadelphia AAAA Catholic League Championship (five meetings since then). This victory also makes the Hawks the favorite to win the Catholic League AAAA title for a third straight year and puts them in good position to make it back to the State Playoffs.
Next up for the Prep- the Father Judge Crusaders, who are led by star running back Yeedee Thaenrat. He will be the main focus this week for the Hawks on the defensive side of the ball.
St. Joe’s finishes Catholic League regular season play on October 31st at home against Roman Catholic. The Hawks look to go 3-0 in the Catholic League and secure the top seed in the playoffs.